Surely One Day
by Jaiaelle
Summary: The gradual morphing of her feelings resulted in a surprising revelation at PCA's junior prom.


**A/N: I was feeling a little sad because my inspiration for this 'ship seemed to be waning and, despite my age, I just love this ship! So I sat down and wrote this. Please read and review!**

Those feelings, the ones that she had always heard about but never experienced herself, had snuck up on her, catching her when she least expected it.

The gradual morphing from thinking of him as "friend" to more than friend to the only one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with began the moment she had first met him and thought, in an off-handed way, how his grin was sort of cute.

There had been a brief interlude in their friendship where she had entertained an idea of forming a dating type relationship with him but that had ended almost as it began, as his heart had been engaged elsewhere.

After that, their friendship had been punctuated by a one sided attraction, on her part, flaring up from time to time but had still been solid.

She trusted no one as she trusted him.

Her one wish that often, too often, penetrated her thoughts, was that he would trust her the same.

The "sometimes" attraction she wouldn't allow herself to dwell on, so she found herself immersed in dating relationships that often lasted less than a week.

Once, he had asked her about her numerous flings but all she could was shrug, smile and say she hadn't found one guy that could hold her interest for very long.

Finally, there was Vince. The one guy she dated for over a week. The guy who could look at her and make her heart feel like it was melting in her chest. The guy she thought - hoped - she could trust.

Happy as the proverbial clam, she had entered her prom, more than a tad late, expecting that her happiness could not grow any more.

That theory was dispelled when she saw _him_ standing there, casually and as if he belonged.

At first, she responded to him as she might have in the past, not questioning the situation. And then it hit her - Chase was there, at prom…at PCA. Squealing like a fan girl, she had wrapped both of her arms around him in a tight hug, not having any desire to ever let go.

Of course, she did, and found herself alternately dancing with Vince and with Quinn and Logan who had, apparently, been forming a romance behind everyone's backs.

Later that night, as she sat sipping a cup of punch, watching Chase and Zoey dance, it hit her in the gut. The air seemed to be sucked out of her lungs as realization took place and hot tears stung her brown eyes.

Their relationship played out before her, starting with that first meeting. Swallowing, she let her mind linger on the boys she had casually dated throughout her years at PCA, finally understanding why none of them had become more permanent fixtures.

But Vince had…

Vince had during the one semester that Chase was absent.

Trembling hands caused red punch to slosh out of the plastic cup, dropping to the purple of her dress, staining the material.

The hug relived itself in her mind, the warmth of his arms, the tenderness of the embrace, burned into her mind.

Feeling lost, she rose to her feet and wandered aimlessly across the dance floor, unaware of her surroundings.

It was by pure coincidence that she bumped into the boy who had been on her mind, the boy she had, at long last and much too late, realized that she loved.

Because she had no doubt that the feelings, the feelings that ran deeper than just feelings, were love.

When her body collided with his, she went spiraling to the ground and he pulled away from Zoey, a strange look on his face.

"Lola," he said, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

It was quite the task to lift her eyes but she did. Lifted her eyes to look straight into his. The icy blue depths drew her in and she found she was immobilized by them.

"Um, Lola?" questioned Zoey, appearing somewhat annoyed.

"Oh, uh," sputtered Lola, coming out of her haze. "I'm, uh, fine."

Grinning, that grin that had never before been heart stopping, Chase leaned over and grasped her hand in his. The gesture produced thousands of jolts of electricity that ran from her hand, down her arm and straight to her heart. Something flashed in his eyes as he helped her to her feet but it quickly passed.

Taking bold initiative Lola asked Chase if she could dance with him, never once imagining that doing so would border on attempting to mar Zoey and Chase's happiness, since she never once imagined that Chase would harbor any feelings for her. After all, Zoey was his leading lady love.

When he agreed, a slightly dismayed Zoey kept her huffing to a minimum and headed to the sidelines, where Lola could feel her eyes on the pair.

"So, you're back." Lola murmured, reveling in the feel of Chase's hand on the small of her back and the other one just slightly higher.

"Um hm," he hummed, drawing her closer.

Surprised, but not showing it in her facial expressions, she went on. "Zoey's one lucky girl." The words almost stuck in her throat but they managed to come out, albeit with a bitter taste.

That grin appeared on his face and Lola grew faint. "And Vince is a lucky guy," he responded.

After his comment, the dance lapsed into silence, the song playing and washing over them, the other prom goers fading into a mere backdrop.

It was just Lola and Chase, swaying to the music, his hands on her back, hers linked behind his neck. She pressed her cheek into his shoulder and let all the memories she had of him dance through her mind.

When the song ended, Lola felt cold as Chase removed his arms and stepped back. The seriousness she gazed in his eyes caused her a momentary fear.

Had he detected the truth that she had suddenly been submerged into?

Clearing his throat, he glanced toward Zoey. "Zoey and I are…"

"Together," Lola put in quickly. "I know." In an attempt to convey some sort of happiness over that fact, she forced a smile on her face.

A responding smile did not appear on his face, making her rather worried. "I didn't think…" He paused, then shook his head. "Lola," he said, after a few more minutes of silence had reigned between the two. "Do you ever think you _know_ something? I mean, you think you know it, beyond a shadow of a doubt but then something happens… And you come to the conclusion that you were just plain wrong all along?"

Thinking he must be a mind reader, Lola dropped her gaze to his shoes, trying to process his words and find a way to reply without giving voice to her new revelations concerning him. "I…suppose that kind of thing can happen."

His shoes moved, stepping back toward her. One finger under her chin lifted her eyes so they met his again. "I think I was wrong…" His voice wavered and his eyes were full of emotion.

Finding it hard to speak, she only nodded. When his eyes flicked to her lips, she knew something had to be done. "Vince!" she cried. "I promised the last dance to him. And Zoey… Zoey's waiting for you."

A veil fell and his emotions were once more masked. "Yeah, I guess she is."

He started to turn, to leave, taking her heart with him but, before he could get too far, she called out, "Wait!" He spun on his heel and regarded her coolly, one eyebrow raised. "Not now," she whispered, moving within his proximity so he could hear her.

An understanding entered his eyes and he nodded, once, before continuing his trek across the dance floor, finding his leading lady love.

Feeling at once satisfied and dissatisfied with what had just occurred, Lola went in search of own leading love.

She would find him and dance with him. And after the last note was played, she would break up with him, ending the longest romantic relationship she had ever been in.

As he walked away, her eyes would meet Chase's from across the room, both sets of eyes alight with the promise of what could be.

"Not now," she had whispered.

But surely one day.

Surely one day.


End file.
